Improvement in sewing-machines



J. R. V. DeCAS'IRO. SEWING-MACHINES.

No. 195,262. Patented Sept.18,1877.

Wz'in em: Imelda;-

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOSE .RIBEIRO VIEIRA DE CASTRO, OF OPORTO, PORTUGAL.

I IMPROVEMENT IN SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent llo. 195,262, datedSeptember 18, 1877; application filed November 21', 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OSE Rmnmo VIEIRA DE CASTRO, of Oporto, in theKingdom of Portugal, have invented certain Improvements invSewing-Machines, of which the'following is a specification i Myinvention belongs to that class in which a common spool of commerce isused to hold the lower thread; and my improvements eonsist in certainfeatures of construction hereinafter described, relating mainly to thehollow revolving heador cylinder, and to the spoolcase or tubular holderand its connections.

To make my invention more easily understood, I will describe the same byreference to the annexed drawing.

Figure 1 represents, in perspective, the lower part of a sewing-machinearranged according to my invention. Figs. 2 to 7 represent the details.Fig. 4 shows, at I, an ordinary spool, which is placed on the axis ofthe case represented in Fig. 3.

This case carries a cone, G, and tie-piece,

in which holes c.e are made, through which passes the thread unwoundfrom the bobbin before its passage into the knot or loop of the threadof the needle, in order to regulate the tension. This case, which shouldbe crossed by the upper thread, is placed freely in the tube, Fig. 2.This tube consists of a metallic cylinder, H, open laterally, andfurnished at j with a slide, suitable for fixing it under the machine.

Fig. 5 represents the apparatus for passing the upper thread around thecase, Fig. 3.

"It is composed of a hollow grooved and slotted cylinder, A, provided infront with a point, F, furnished with two grooves, w :1 serving toreceive the thread. Ahook, O, movable around an axis, and arranged toplay in the slotz of the cylinder, is moved by a small arbor, B, havingat its other end a pinion, D. This pinion gears with a toothed segment,m, Figs. 5 and 6, placed at the extremity of an arm oscillating roundthe point h, and furnished with a projecting knob or pin, Z, which canbe introduced into the groove 1" of a cam, E, (shown separate at Fig. 7or the cam may be used without the groove.

It will be understood that, the cylinder A and the eccentric being intheir place, the rotating movement of the shaft K, Fig. 1, will give tothe segment m, to the pinion D, and consequently to the book 0, analternate or reciprocating circular movement.

This being done, the cam E is fixed in its place, the cylinder A beingon the extremity of the shaft K, and the spool I is placed in the caseand on the arbor d, Fig. 3, which is inclosed in the chamfered orsloping tube H, itself fixed at j in a suitable slide. The axis K beingput in motion, the stitch is made as follows: If the needle-thread bepassed through and. underneath the bed-plate or table, the hook 0 seizesit in its passage and draws it with it. The point F, in passing, in itsturn separates it, and the two sides of the loop are placed in thegrooves 00 y. The two parts or sides of the loop a. of theneedle-thread, Fig. 1, are then separated, and, in the position shown inFig.1, the upper part of the case commences to pass between them. Thencam E, commencing to act, causes the hook O to go back into the interiorof the cylinder A. The thread is released when its curve has passed thecone G, and is thus introduced into the tube H. The spool and the 'casehaving passed through the loop, it remains in this position for abouthalf a turn. Then the small hook O, in returning, takes theneedle-thread to form a new loop, each loop encompassing the thread ofthe spool. and in this manner the stitch is regularly formed, the threadof the spool unwinding in a regular manner in consequence of its passagethrough the holes 0 c.

The slide j, to which the spool-case tube H is attached, dovetails tothe under side of the bed, so that it may slide in a right line to movethis tube spool-case and spool to their working positions within thecylinder, or to remove them therefrom, and this mode of attachmentallows such insertion or removal at whatever position the cylinder mayhave stopped in its revolution; whereas if the piece j, instead ofsliding, were pivoted and swung upon a center, as has heretofore beenthe practice, it could not be swung out unless a portion of the wall ofthe cylinder were cut away for that purpose; nor then, until theoperator, at considerable inconvenience and loss of time, and withskill, should first rotate the cylinder to the precise point required,as Well as in the proper direction. For the better securing a firm holdof the slide to the bed, it is provided with a spring, q. (Shown indotted lines in Fig. 2.)

In order that the reacting spring 1', which bears upon the segment m,may exert its power to the best advantage to insure the action of thesegment under all conditions, its bearing end acts upon thissegment-lever at the farthest practicabledistace from its fulcrum, thusgiving a long leverage; and in order that the inside of the hollowcylinder A shall be as free as possible from any devices which mightinterfere with the free action of the thread, and of the devices whichare lodged within such cylinder, this spring is placed outside thecylinder, and not, as heretofore, inside of it, or acting upon thesegment near its axis.

The tube H is furnished on its outer side and opposite its open sidewith a spring-guard, 8, whose upper end curves slightly inward, so as toreach over the top of the spool-case G when the latter is in place, anddetain it with agentle pressure, yet permitting the loop ofneedle-thread to pass between such guard and the case G at theproperjuncture. This spring is adjustably or removably secured to caseor tube H by a screw at the point u, and its lower end is furnished witha rigid bar, t, which, passing under the tube and under the spool-case,prevents the latter from dropping through the tube. A small and delicatespring,

upon this bar t, and permits the loop to pass freely. A pin, w,projecting slightly into the hottoih of case G, serves to lift the spoolabove its base, so that there shall be but little resistance or frictionto prevent its free revolution to deliver its thread.

The driving-shaft of the machine, to which motion is transmitted by anysuitable motor, is terminated by a pulley, P, Fig. 1, on which is placedthe driving-hand. One of the faces of the pulley is terminated byprojections taking into the corresponding face of the pulley L, whenthis pulley is retrereu we the rest of the machine by means of hinges Z.This mode of gearing allows of raising the machine to examine the lowerpart without it being necessary to remove the'strap;

What I claim is- 1. In combination with the revolving hook: cylinder A,constructed as shown and described, the bobbin-case tubeorhblder H andits dovetailed supporting-slide j, as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The tube H, provided with the spring-bar s t, and also with asl-i'de','j-, whereb'ythe tube may be readily applied toor removed fromthe bed-plate, and also slid in ri ht'lirres into and out of the hollowrevolving cylinder A, as shown and described.

Oporto, June 2, 1876.

JOSE RIBEIRO vIEiRA on CASTRO. Witnesses:

'v, in the bottom of the conical tip of G, rests [ILLEGIBLE]

